U.S. patent application number 09/046045 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-06 for method and apparatus for providing advertisement supported communications.
Invention is credited to GOLDBERG, RANDY G., HANSON, BRUCE LOWELL, MANE, AMIR M., STUNTEBECK, PETER H..
Application Number | 20010048737 09/046045 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21941281 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010048737 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GOLDBERG, RANDY G. ; et
al. |
December 6, 2001 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ADVERTISEMENT SUPPORTED
COMMUNICATIONS
Abstract
A method and apparatus providing a communication service in
which sponsors pay for communication services initiated by a
caller. A caller may invoke the service by entering only the
telephone number identifying the desired connection. A
communication switch interprets the digits entered by the caller,
determines whether the caller wishes to invoke the advertiser
supported communication service and if so plays a message to the
caller. At the end of the message the communication switch
completes the desired connection.
Inventors: |
GOLDBERG, RANDY G.;
(PRINCETON, NJ) ; HANSON, BRUCE LOWELL; (LITTLE
SILVER, NJ) ; MANE, AMIR M.; (LINCROFT, NJ) ;
STUNTEBECK, PETER H.; (LITTLE SILVER, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FRANK PIETRANTONIO
KENYON & KENYON
1500 K STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
|
Family ID: |
21941281 |
Appl. No.: |
09/046045 |
Filed: |
March 23, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
379/114.13 ;
379/70; 379/71 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 3/4878 20130101;
H04M 2215/0192 20130101; H04M 3/42348 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
379/114.13 ;
379/70; 379/71 |
International
Class: |
H04M 001/64; H04M
015/00 |
Claims
We claim
1. A method of providing sponsor supported communication services,
comprising the steps of: identifying a caller, receiving a signal
from a caller identifying a party to be called, determining whether
the caller is a participant to the sponsor supported communication
services, if so, playing a message to the caller, and placing a
call connection from the caller to the called party.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: during
the playing step, monitoring activity from the caller, and if the
caller's activity indicates a request to be connected to a
representative of the message, identifying the representative, and
placing a call connection from the caller to the called party.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step is performed
in a central office switch.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step is performed
at a communication switch of an interexchange communication
network.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing step includes a step
of selecting a message at random.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing step includes the
steps of: retrieving a profile of the caller, and selecting a
message based on a correlation between the caller's profile and a
profile of an intended audience of the message.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing step includes the
steps of: identifying to the caller available messages, prompting
the subscriber to select one of the messages, and responsive to the
selection, playing the selected message.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing step occurs after the
placing step and includes the steps of: determining the time of the
call, and selecting a message based on the length of the call.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of generating a
billing record representative of the call, the billing record
identifying a rate premium associated with the message.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the billing record further
identifies the message that is played.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the billing record further
identifies a sponsor of the message that is played.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing step occurs during
the call connection of the placing step.
13. A communication switch comprising: a processing system, a
switch matrix responsive to decisions by the processor and in
communication with a caller's telephone, a voice information server
controlled by the processor and in communication with the switch
matrix, and a database storing a profile of the caller and message
data, wherein, responsive to a new call initiated by the caller,
the processor: receives entered digits entered at the telephone,
retrieves the caller's profile, determines whether the caller is a
participant to a sponsor supported communication service, if so,
causes the switch matrix to establish a connection between the
caller's telephone and the voice information server, causes the
voice information server to play a selected message to the caller's
telephone, and at the conclusion of the message, places a call
connection as determined by the entered digits.
14. The switch of claim 13, wherein: as it plays the message, the
voice information server monitors activity from the caller's
telephone, when the voice information server detects a
predetermined code from the caller's telephone, the voice
information server signals the processor, and responsive to the
signal from the voice information server, the processor identifies
a contact associated with the selected message and places a second
call to the contact.
15. The switch of claim 13, wherein the switch is a central office
switch connected to the caller's telephone by telephone lines.
16. The switch of claim 13, wherein the switch is provided in an
interexchange communication network and communicating with the
caller's telephone via other communication switches.
17. The switch of claim 13, wherein the processor selects messages
to be played at random.
18. The switch of claim 13, wherein: the caller profile provides
demographic information of the caller, the database stores profiles
for messages of an intended audience of the message, and the
processor selects one of the messages to be played based on a
correlation between the caller's profile and the messages'
profiles.
19. The switch of claim 13, wherein: the processor causes the voice
information server to prompt the caller to select a message to be
played, and responsive to the selection, the processor selects a
message to be played.
20. The switch of claim 13, wherein the processor generates a
billing record of the call, the billing record identifying the
message that is played.
21. The switch of claim 20 wherein: the database further associates
rate premiums with the messages, and the billing record identifies
the rate premium of the message that is played.
22. A method providing sponsor supported communication services,
comprising the steps of: receiving entered digits from a caller,
and determining whether the entered digits include a code
representing a request for a sponsor supported communication
service, if so, playing a message to the caller, at the conclusion
of the message, placing a call as dictated by caller input.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the caller input is entered
digits.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the caller input is a spoken
command.
25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:
monitoring caller activity, and when the caller requests to be
connected to a contact associated with the played message, placing
a call connection between the caller and the contact.
26. A method for integrating a provisioning of service and
information announcements in a communication network, the method
comprising the steps of: storing an information announcement in a
database associated with a switching node; analyzing a request for
a call connection routed through said switching node; detecting in
the analysis whether a caller is to be a recipient of a stored
information announcement; and completing the requested call
connection to a termination point.
27. The method of claim 26, further comprising, when the caller is
to be a recipient, a step of playing the information announcement
prior to the completing step.
28. The method of claim 26, further comprising, when the caller is
to be a recipient, a step of playing the information announcement
subsequent to the completing step.
29. The method of claim 26, wherein the detecting step includes the
steps of: identifying the caller, and determining whether the
caller is a participant to sponsor supported communication services
and, if so, the caller is to be a recipient of the stored
information announcement.
30. The method of claim 26, wherein the detecting step determines
the caller to be a recipient of the stored information announcement
when the request includes a request for such an announcement to be
played.
31. A method of providing an affinity group based telecommunication
service, comprising: identifying a caller to a new call completion
request; determining whether the caller is a member of an affinity
group, when the caller is a member of an affinity group, applying a
call handling option to the call, the call handling option being
indicative of the affinity group, and thereafter, completing a call
request.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein the applying step includes a
step of generating a dial tone signal unique to the affinity
group.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein the applying step includes
steps of: selecting a message related to the affinity group, and
playing the selected message to the caller.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an advertisement supported
communication service.
[0002] Proprietors of communication networks currently are
investigating alternative service arrangements to expand the reach
of communication services. One such alternative envisions
advertiser supported communication services wherein a consumer
listens to an advertisement over the telephone then places a
desired call either without charge or at some reduced rate of
service. Sponsors of the advertisements would incur charges for the
consumer's call.
[0003] Some systems that provide advertiser supported communication
services are in place. See, for example, "Europe Offering Free
Calls, But First, A Word From . . .", New York Times, Sep. 28,
1997. Typically, shown in FIG. 8(a), such service providers connect
communication equipment to a communication network, such as the
Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN"). Such equipment may
connect to the PSTN via a private branch exchange, PBX1, connected
to a switch, SW3, of the PSTN.
[0004] To place a call to a party at telephone T2 using the
advertiser supported service, a calling party at telephone T1 must
enter two telephone numbers. The first telephone number represents
the service provider. It causes the communication network to
connect telephone T1 to PBX1. When this call is completed, the
calling party must enter a second number identifying the party to
be called (at telephone T2). After PBX1 plays an advertisement to
the caller, it forwards the call to telephone T2.
[0005] The known service suffers many disadvantages. First, it is
cumbersome. The consumer is forced to enter two telephone numbers
which may cause confusion or at least reduce the ease with which a
consumer uses the service. The routine must be invoked for every
call the consumer makes under the services. It is not possible for
a regular user of the service to invoke the advertisement supported
service by default. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a
simplified scheme of providing advertiser supported communication
services to consumers.
[0006] The known advertisement supported communication service also
consumes unnecessary resources within the communication network.
Because the call is forwarded from PBX1 to telephone T2, the call
path extends through the network in two "legs" as shown in FIG.
8(b). In a first leg, the call path extends from telephone T1 to
PBX1 via switches SW1, SW2 and SW4. In the second leg, the call
path extends from PBX1 to telephone T2 via switches SW4 and SW5.
Also, the call path consumes the resources of two call paths in
switch SW4, the switch connected to the advertisement supported
service provider. The call path traverses switch SW4 once as it
extends from telephone T1 to PBX1, and a second time as it is
forwarded from PBX1 to telephone T2. The service therefore consumes
unnecessary resources in the PSTN. Accordingly, there is a need in
the art for an advertiser supported communication service that
conserves resources within the communication network.
[0007] Another alternative communication service provides
information to members of an "affinity group." As is known in
marketing fields, affinity groups are groups of consumers that
possess a strong common interest. A frequently cited example is an
affinity group of sports enthusiasts having an interest either in a
type of sport or in a certain sports team. Goods and services that
exhibit ties to the affinity group subject (the sports team) may be
sold at a premium rate. In the communications fields, although
affinity group news hotlines abound, there has been very little
success in integrating affinity group techniques with communication
services.
[0008] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a communication
service that selectively provides affinity group services to select
subscribers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention alleviates the disadvantages of the
prior art to a great extent by providing a communication service in
which advertisers pay for communication services initiated by a
caller. A caller may invoke the service by entering only the
telephone number identifying the desired connection. A
communication switch interprets the digits entered by the caller,
determines whether the caller wishes to invoke the advertiser
supported communication service and, if so, plays a message to the
caller. At the end of the message the communication switch
completes the desired connection.
[0010] In a second embodiment, a communication service provides an
affinity group telecommunication service. A telecommunication
switch determines whether when a caller generates an off-hook
condition. Based upon the interface between the switch and the
caller's telephone equipment, the switch determines if the caller
is a member of an affinity group. If so, the switch applies a
handling option to the call.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a central office
switch constructed in accordance with the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a method of operation of a
switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a communication network
operating in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of operation of a
switch operating in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method of operation of an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method of operation of a
switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a method of operation of an affinity
group based communication service.
[0018] FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are block diagrams illustrating a known
advertisement supported communication service.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a central office
switch 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A
central office switch 100 is the communication equipment that
connects directly to the caller's telephone 10. The central office
switch 100 includes a switch matrix 110 and a processor 120 that
controls the switch matrix 110. The switch matrix 110 is connected
to telephones 10, 12, 14 over telephone lines. The switch matrix
110 also is connected to other switches in the communication
network (not shown) over an interconnecting trunk line 112. The
central office switch 100 includes a voice information server
("VIS") 130 and a database 140, both connected to the switch matrix
110. The processor 120 and switch matrix 110 of the central office
switch may be found in a model 5ESS switch, currently available
from Lucent Technologies of Murray Hill, N.J. The VIS 130 may be
the Conversant system, also commercially available from Lucent
Technologies.
[0020] The database 140 contains customer profiles for each
telephone served by the central office switch. According to an
embodiment of the invention, customers desiring to participate in
the advertisement supported service would preregister. Accordingly,
the customer profiles identify for each telephone whether the
customer is a participant in the advertisement supported service.
Optionally, it may include demographic or psychographic information
such as age, gender, income level, address, etc., which information
could be used to provide target specific advertisements.
Alternatively, the database 140 may store customer histories
including such information as messages played to the customer in
the past or the rates of such messages.
[0021] In addition to customer profiles, the database 140 also may
store advertisements as message data to be interpreted and played
by the VIS 130. Furthermore, the database may provide a demographic
profile of an intended audience for the advertisements.
[0022] The central office switch 100 provides advertising supported
telecommunication services to subscribers. In an embodiment, the
system provides the advertising supported communication services
according to the method of FIG. 2.
[0023] To begin an advertising supported telephone call, a caller
generates an off-hook condition at the caller's telephone 10. The
central office switch 110 identifies the caller by identifying the
telephone line that generated the off-hook condition (Step 1010).
The processor 120 receives entered digits or speech from the
telephone 10 identifying a telephone to be called (Step 1020). As
part of the call set-up procedure, the processor 120 determines
whether the caller is a participant in the advertising supported
telecommunications service (Step 1030). If the caller is not a
participant, the processor 120 completes the call according to
traditional processes (Step 1040) and aborts the method of FIG.
2.
[0024] However, if the telephone 10 is a participant in the
service, the processor 120 selects and plays an advertisement to
the telephone 10 (Step 1050). The processor 120 causes the switch
matrix 110 to connect the telephone 10 to the VIS 130. The
processor 120 selects a message contained in the database 140 and
causes the VIS 130 to play the selected message. The processor 120
may select messages at random. Optionally, the processor 120 may
refer to the demographic profile of the caller and the demographic
profile of the advertisements to identify an appropriate
advertisement to be played to the caller. If so, the processor 120
may select a message based on a correlation between the two
profiles. In a second option, the processor 120 may prompt the
caller to select one message from several options. The caller may
select an option by a dialed, touch-tone or spoken command, either
of which may be decoded by the VIS 130.
[0025] Upon conclusion of the advertisement message, the processor
120 generates a billing record representative of the call (Step
1060). The billing record identifies information typical to known
billing records in communication networks such as the time of the
call, the originating telephone and the terminating telephone.
Additionally, the billing record indicates that the call was made
pursuant to the advertisement supported communication service. The
billing record may identify the message that was played or the
identity of the message's sponsor and, optionally, any rate
information associated with the message. In an embodiment,
advertisers may provide different rate premiums to callers for
listening to their messages. Rate premiums cause callers to receive
discounted or free calls.
[0026] The processor 120 begins call set-up procedures to connect
telephone 10 with the telephone identified in the entered digits
received at Step 1020 (Step 1070). Optionally, messages may be
presented to the caller and/or the called party during the progress
of the call itself. In one embodiment, short messages, of 10
seconds or less, may be interspersed every five minutes. The
processor may terminate the method at the conclusion of the
call.
[0027] As an option, the processor 120 may be programmed to monitor
activity from telephone 10 while the advertisement is being played
at Step 1050. The caller may be instructed prior to hearing the
message that it may request to be connected to a representative of
the advertiser at the conclusion of the desired call. The
representative may be a human attendant or an interactive automated
voice response system. Thus, as an option, the VIS monitors signals
received from telephone 10 while it plays the selected message to
determine whether the caller makes such a request (Step 1080). If
so, the processor 120 places a second call between telephone 10 and
a representative of the advertiser (Step 1090). The telephone
number of the representative may be stored in database 140 along
with the messages themselves. If the caller makes no such request,
the processor 120 terminates the method. Also, at the conclusion of
Step 1090, the processor terminates the method.
[0028] At anytime during the progress of the message, the caller
may command the processor 120 to abort the message. The abort
command may be a predetermined touch-tone or spoken command that is
decoded by the VIS 130. In response, the processor 120 commands the
VIS 130 to discontinue the message. The processor 120 completes the
desired call according to any discount to the caller.
[0029] At Step 1020, the processor 120 may be configured to
recognize emergency numbers ("911" or an equivalent). Detection of
an emergency number causes the method to terminate and an emergency
call connection to be made as is known.
[0030] By providing a database co-located with the central office
switch 100, the service advantageously accommodates both national
and regional advertising. As is known, the central office switch
100 typically serves subscribers of some discrete geographic
region. Accordingly, the database 140 may be configured to store
advertising messages of regional advertisers. Also, the database
may be configured to store messages of national advertisers or may
coordinate with a second database (not shown) within the
communication network that stores the national advertisements. In
this distributed database scheme, the processor 120 may select
among regional and national advertisements based on any desired
criterion, including prompting a caller for the caller's
preference.
[0031] The present invention finds application in switches other
than a central office switch 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 3,
the present invention may be implemented in telecommunication
switches 210-240 in an interexchange communication network ("IXC")
200. There, the IXC 200 is populated by a number of communication
switches, such as model 4ESS switches available from Lucent
Technologies. When the IXC 200 establishes a call connection
between telephones 10 and 30, for example, each switch in the
connection path acts as a switching node. The switch 210 includes a
processor and switch matrix (not shown) in a manner similar to
central office switch 100. A switch that implements the present
invention may be provided with a VIS 250 and database 260 either
directly or indirectly through other switches.
[0032] An IXC switch such as 210 that implements the present
invention can also operate in accordance with the method of FIG. 2.
If a caller at telephone 10 attempts to complete a call that
traverses the IXC 200, an IXC switch 210 in communication with the
central office switch 100 may implement the method of FIG. 2.
First, the IXC switch 210 identifies the calling party (Step 1010).
The IXC switch 210 may receive an automatic number identifier
("ANI") from the central office switch 100 that identifies the
calling party. The IXC switch 210 receives the entered number
entered at telephone 10 (Step 1020). The IXC switch 210 determines
whether the caller is a participant in the advertisement supported
service (Step 1030) and, if so, selects and plays an advertisement
to the caller (Step 1050).
[0033] To determine whether the caller is a participant in the
service, the IXC switch 210 need not be co-located with the
database 260. The IXC switch 210 may communicate with the database
260 via one or more intermediate switches 230 in the IXC 200. The
IXC switch 210 queries the database 260 to determine whether the
ANI received from the central office switch maps to a participant
to the service.
[0034] To play a message to the caller, the communication switch
210 establishes a call path between telephone 10 and the VIS 250.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, IXC switch 210 is provided
in direct communication with the VIS 250 and may establish the path
directly to the VIS 250. However, IXC switch 220, which may provide
the service to telephone 30, communicates with switch 210 to
establish the desired call path to the VIS 250. Accordingly, there
is no requirement that the VIS 250 be co-located with a switch that
performs the method.
[0035] Steps 1060 through 1090 are performed as described in
connection with FIG. 1.
[0036] The present invention may also be implemented with telephone
equipment that is not associated with any particular subscriber.
For example, in FIG. 1, central office switch 100 is provided in
communication with a pay phone 20. Advertisement supported
communication services may be provided to a pay phone 20 in
accordance with the method of FIG. 4. There an advertisement
supported call is initiated when a person generates an off-hook
condition at the pay phone 20. The processor 120 identifies the
off-hook telephone as a pay phone 20 and receives entered digits
entered there (Steps 2010 and 2020). The processor 120 then selects
and plays an advertisement to the caller (Step 2030). As with the
method of FIG. 2, the processor 120 causes the switch matrix 110 to
connect the pay phone 20 to the VIS 130, selects a message from the
database 140 and causes the VIS 130 to play the message to the
person at the pay phone 20.
[0037] When the message concludes, the processor 120 generates a
billing record (Step 2040) and places a call to a telephone
identified by the entered digits.
[0038] As with the method of FIG. 2, the processor 120 may
optionally determine whether the caller requested to be connected
to an advertiser at the conclusion of the call (Step 2060). If the
caller at the pay phone 20 has made such a request, at the
conclusion of the call, the processor 120 connects the pay phone 20
to an agent of the advertiser.
[0039] In the pay phone embodiments, the selection of messages may
be influenced by predetermined selection criterion. Geographic
location is one such criterion. The switch 100 may be programmed to
associate pay phones in certain locations, such as an airport, with
certain messages. Thus, the present invention may provide targeted
advertising to callers even when the callers' identity is not
known. Of course, consumers benefit from being freed from having to
enter change or charge card information to a pay phone.
[0040] The method of FIG. 4 also may be adapted to integrate it
with traditional phone service. Customers may be instructed to
invoke the rate discounting method by entering a predetermined
command (touch-tone sequence or spoken command) during call setup.
The switch detects the command and invokes the method.
[0041] The advertisement supported communication service of the
present invention also finds application where preregistration has
not occurred. Such a method is shown in FIG. 5. According to this
method, the central office switch 100 receives entered digits
entered at telephone 10 (Step 3010). The central office switch
determines whether the entered digits also include a request that
the call be placed under an advertisement supported call (Step
3020). For example, the entered digits may include a prefix code
designating the advertisement supported service. If not, the
central office switch 100 completes the telephone call according to
traditional processes (Step 3030).
[0042] If the caller does request an advertisement supported call,
the processor 120 selects and plays an advertisement to the caller
(Step 3040). At the conclusion of the advertisement message, the
processor 120 generates a billing record (Step 3050) and connects
the caller to the telephone identified by the entered digits (Step
3060). Optionally, when the caller has been connected with the
called party, the processor 120 may terminate the method of FIG.
5.
[0043] Alternatively, however, the VIS 130 may determine whether
the caller requested that a connection to a representative of the
advertiser at the conclusion of the desired call (Step 3070). If
so, the processor 120 connects the caller to the advertiser's agent
(Step 3080). If the caller made no such request, or when the
processor 120 has connected the caller to the advertiser's agent,
the processor 120 terminates the method.
[0044] The methods of the present invention impose no order of
operation between the presentation of messages and the completion
of calls. In FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the methods illustrate call
completion as being made after the message is played to the caller.
These steps may be inverted consistent with the principles of the
present invention.
[0045] As an example, FIG. 6 illustrates a method very much like
the method of FIG. 2 in which the steps of connecting the caller to
the dialed telephone (Step 1070) and selecting a message to be
played to the caller (Step 1050) are reversed. In this embodiment,
when the caller completes the desired call, the caller is presented
with the advertising message. When the message has been played to
the caller in its entirety, the billing record may be generated
awarding the caller the rate discount (Step 1060). Of course, the
switch 100 may determine if the caller hangs up before the message
completes. In this case, the central office switch 100 does not
award the rate discount.
[0046] The order of operation shown in FIG. 6 possesses an
advantage over that shown in FIG. 2. At Step 1050, when the message
is selected, the call has been completed and the length of the call
is known. The system may use the length of the call as a selection
criterion. Because longer calls typically are more expensive, the
system may select messages with higher rate premiums for the longer
calls.
[0047] In another alternative, an embodiment of the present
invention may broadcast selected messages to both the caller and
the called party. In this embodiment, a call connection between the
caller and the called party is made before the advertisement is
played. However, the message may be played immediately upon
commencement of the connection, at the completion of their desired
call or during the call.
[0048] Another embodiment of the present invention integrates
affinity group messaging with conventional communication services.
The billing system of the present invention also may be used in the
context of affinity group telecommunication services. Affinity
group telecommunication services are more completely described in
the co-pending patent application "Method and System for Affinity
Group Telephone Service," Ser. No. 09/020,931 filed Feb. 9, 1998,
the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The
affinity group telecommunication services may be invoked on a pay
per call basis. In such an embodiment, a caller invokes the service
by entering a digit sequence representing a request for the
affinity group service when the caller dials a called party.
[0049] FIG. 7 illustrates a method of operation of a communication
switch in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
According to the method, the switch receives dialed digits entered
by the caller (Step 4010) and determines whether the caller
requested affinity group services (Step 4020). If so, the switch
provides the requested service (Step 4030). The switch also
generates a billing record representing the affinity group call
(Step 4040). The switch places a call to the called party (Step
4050).
[0050] If, at step 4020, the call is not an affinity group call,
the switch completes the call according to conventional procedures
(Step 4060).
[0051] The billing record includes information conventional to
known billing records such as the time of day, the originating
telephone, the destination telephone and the length of the call.
The billing record of the present invention also includes
information identifying that the call requested the affinity group
service and identifies the particular affinity group to which it
relates. The billing record may also indicate a charge rate to be
applied to the affinity group service.
[0052] Some affinity groups may be income generating for third
parties. For example, an affinity group directed to a national
sports team may involve royalty payments to be made to the sports
team or its representative pursuant to a license. Further, an
affinity group may be created for the benefit of a charity wherein
each affinity group call generates a donation to the charity. In
each case, the affinity group call involves a payment to a third
party. To accommodate payments to third parties, the billing record
may include such information as a third party payee and a rate to
be credited to the payee.
[0053] To facilitate the discussion, the present invention has been
described with reference to "advertisements." However, it should be
understood that the principles of the present invention apply to
any kind of information message, in any context. Any commercial
motivations that cause a party to include their messages in the
sponsor supported communication service of the present invention is
immaterial to the invention itself. Several embodiments of the
present invention are specifically illustrated and described
herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and
variations of the present invention are covered by the above
teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without
departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.
* * * * *